


Box of Crayons

by Gatherer_of_Clouds



Series: In This Castle of Cards [3]
Category: Deltarune (Video Game), Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Character Study, Childhood Memories, Crayons, Experimental Style, Gen, Headcanon, I Don't Even Know, I'm Bad At Tagging, Multi, Nihilism, No Plot/Plotless, Post-Deltarune Chapter One, Pre-Canon, Read at Your Own Risk, References to Depression, Tagging as I go, Time Skips, Vent-fic, of sorts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:20:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29097186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gatherer_of_Clouds/pseuds/Gatherer_of_Clouds
Summary: Memories are like crayons. Some are sharp, and shiny with vibrant colors that are excellent to grip and draw with. Others are dull and faded that have been broken into bits and have been collecting dust, discarded under the couch for years. So pix up a box and let’s see what kind of crayon’s we’ll find.
Relationships: Asriel Dreemurr & Kris (Deltarune), Chara/Asriel Dreemurr, Kris & Susie (Deltarune), Ralsei & Original Character(s)
Series: In This Castle of Cards [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019560
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

“After all the trouble I went through to lock him up, you want to release him?” Seam bitterly sighed, “Hmm, now that you mention it, it could be troublesome if he was left alone…” after all, nothing built could last forever. Seam’s spell would one day weaken, and Jevil would be free to enter their ‘prison cell’. That is assuming the little gremlin hadn’t been swallowed up by the darkness completely, but Seam knew in his cotton it wasn’t the case. He rubbed his remaining button eye, and glanced over at a cracked mirror he found years back that hadn’t been sold yet. He doubted it ever would be sold, but he didn’t feel motivated enough to get rid of it (he wasn’t motivated enough to do a lot of things if he was being honest).

His expression was tight and pained, and it pulled on the stitches in his face making the gash on his head look worse than it felt (it had been numb for some time). He couldn’t remember the last time he patched himself up, and visage in the dull glass literally reflected this. It was a sorry sight. The plush cat turned back to the self proclaimed heroes, “Yes, perhaps it's better if you heroes dealt with him now...? After all, it's not as if whatever happens,” he forced a chuckle, “will matter in the end. Perhaps a little chaos might be fun,” Jevil always thought so. Seam’s smile of remorse and nostalgia widened, “So then, take this,” he rummaged through a small drawer filled to the brim with odds and ends whose sole purpose was to bury deep down what he was currently digging for, and pulled out the piece of the broken key. It was another thing he wasn’t able to get rid of, but unlike the mirror, he couldn’t bear to let his eyes linger on it for too long. Holding the piece burned his paw and made his breath hitch, and he practically threw it at the lead Lightner. Kris was their name, if his memory served correctly, which for better or worse always had. They and the taller purple Lightner studied it closely and ran their fingers over it reverently. Ralsei, who used to visit his shop when he was much younger, not that he would remember, glanced at the key once, but not so subtly tried to gauge Seam’s emotions and thoughts. Before he could say anything, Seam continued talking. The plush Darkner told them about finding the place where the stars don’t shine (a place he and Jevil had frequented in the past, and the memories there were another thing he couldn’t get rid of) in a tired apathetic tone. Soon enough they were on their way to face Jevil, with only Ralsei lingering in the doorframe. Seam could see the questions and concern in his eyes under the brim of his oversized hat, but Ralsei seemed to think better of it, and followed the Lightners out.

Good, Seam thought, questions lead to nothing but trouble. He collapsed in his ragged armchair (most things in the Seap, including the owner, could be described as ragged) Perhaps he shouldn’t have given them that key. After all, they were only children. But then again, Jevil used to have a soft spot for children. He used to love to make the Darkner children laugh and cause harmless hijinks with them. Key, pardon the pun, words being ‘used to’ there was no telling what these painful years of isolation had done to his companion. Jevil never liked to be alone for too long and Seam was indifferent about it until it was too late. Funny that this was how they both ended up. Old, alone, and watching the world trudge on through a shadowed window. Perhaps if Seam had been with him that day in the woods… 

It was pointless to ruminate over the different ways the past could’ve gone, especially when choices didn’t really matter in the end. That’s what Seam began to repeat to himself out loud, as if believing this was a spell he could conjure up. He morosely dropped his face into his hands and sunk his plastic claws into his cotton forehead. Seam was seldom envious, but he was severely jealous of Lightners for their ability to cry. It must be liberating for their view of the world to blur for a little while and feel a tangible form of their pain leak right out of them. He began to chuckle, and then it grew louder, and louder until he was howling. He wouldn’t be surprised if the Darkners in the castle could hear his deranged histartics. Maybe even Jevil in his freedom could too, and the thought only made him laugh harder. What would he think if he could finally hear Seam cackling like him? The most Jevil had ever managed to pull from him was a small chuckle at his antics. He really should’ve laughed at Jevil’s jokes more… 

Once the swell and peak of his outburst was over, he wearily stood up to close down the Seap for a while. Maybe Jevil would defeat the Lightners and seek him out for a rematch. He should save his strength or practice his magic again (he gave up magic after he’d cast the spell, that accursed spell, to lock his only real friend away), but he was so tired, and Jevil had opened his button eye to the harsh truth of the futility of one’s actions), but stopped in his tracks when his foot nudged something and sent it sliding across the creaky wooden floors. In spite of his weak body’s protests, Seam hobbled over to it and bent down to pick whatever it was up.

In his paw, Seam held an old dusty box of crayons, the only other piece of Jevil he’d been able to keep. He must’ve knocked it out of the drawer when he was hurriedly groping for the key. He could hear an echo of childish laughter, as he squeezed the box in his grip. He’d tried so hard to forget him and move on, but the memories were always in the back of his mind. Memories of games and performances and laughter and jokes… but the Jevil he’d known was gone. He had been the moment he emerged from the woods with a bleak expression of dread. He should’ve known something had happened in the hours he’d been missing. He should’ve done something more to help him. Jevil was gone because he was a useless companion. The Kings wanted Jevil executed long before he was forced to lock him up because of his growth in power and hysteria. Perhaps Seam had listened to them, and let Jevil die as the Darkner he was instead of being corrupted and morphing into that chaotic beast, they’d both be happier.

“It doesn’t matter!” Seam shouted for the first time in a very long time, startling the few Darkners outside and threw the box away from him. It hit the mirror he’d been scrutinizing himself in with a bang and the glass flew outward, cascading to the floor with little plinks and tinkles like the sound of tiny brass bells. Seam’s knees wobbled and gravity took it’s cruel grip over him and-


	2. Chapter 2

-Kris face planted on to their bed. They fished their phone out of their back pocket and pulled up Susie’s contact. Turning their head and blowing his bangs out of his dark red eyes, he sadly texted her that they had to cancel their plans. She replied almost instantly with a passionate “WHY NOT?!?!” and then tried to call them. Kris sent another text her way saying that they weren’t in the mood to verbally communicate at that moment, and she immediately replied that she was sorry for putting them on the spot, but that Kris better have an answer for her or she’d “kick ass hard enough to launch you into space”. Kris’s lips twitched upward and explained that Asriel came home from college earlier than originally planned and was bringing his new girlfriend with him. So, naturally Toriel decided to have a day dedicated to family bonding and welcoming this “Chara” character into the household.

Saying Kris wasn’t happy about it would be the understatement of the century. Firstly, they couldn’t believe Asriel had a girlfriend and didn’t tell them. They used to be so close and tell each other everything. Next, it wasn’t their whole family without their dad, but Toriel made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him any longer. Finally, Kris had been looking forward to going back to the Darkworld with Susie today. The duo hadn’t felt truly at home anywhere for a long, long time, but in the Darkworld, they felt like they fit in, and they could be themselves. It was no secret that Susie would much rather stay in the Darkworld 24/7 if she could, and Kris, if not for Asriel and his parents would gladly stay with her and their friends in a land of wonder and magic. 

They had left the Darkworld for the first time only four days ago, but already they felt a deep longing to return to a home they only barely begun to know. There was a word for those sorts of homes, but Kris couldn’t remember it at the moment. Every time they tried to go back within the past four days, something, or someone, stopped them. Alphys threatened to call their parents if they kept skipping class together, and the last thing Susie wanted was for her dad to get involved. So, they planned to sneak into school today during a basketball game in the gym. They had to go back. Not just for themselves and their own wellbeing, but because things weren’t exactly perfect back there, or at least good enough where they could rest easy. As the Lightner heroes they couldn’t abandon the Darkners again. Lancer was only a child, and even though Rouxls handled the kingdom for him, that didn’t preclude the possibility of an uprising of some kind or someone else trying to gain more power in the uncertain political environment. The three remaining Card Kings were trying to regain their power and Kris and Susie were concerned deeply for Lancer’s safety. Then there was Ralsei who kept his title as prince, but now lived in the Card Castle with Lancer. How was he doing? He seemed so sad to see them go. Kris couldn’t blame him because he had spent his whole life waiting for them and Susie. And after all, he never did bake them cakes and it the empty town they found him in had such a lonesome and depressing atmosphere. And lastly… 

Their phone dinged. It was Susie again, not that it was much of a surprise. Susie was his only real friend. “I’m assuming the imp hasn’t made an appearance yet?” She asked. No Jevil hadn’t. He, in his Devilsknife form, was the only thing that made it out of the Darkworld intact with them. Kris’s tattered backpack lay open on the floor, and the glinting curved blade was poking out the top. He and Susie had been trying to figure out for the past two days if he was dead or sleeping and they couldn’t come up with any answers. Kris wanted to go back and ask Seam about it right after they defeated him and maybe to reunite him with his ‘companion’, but they had more pressing matters to attend to, namely defeating the King of Spades. It was good they hadn’t delayed because if they had gotten there any later, the King might’ve hurt Lancer. It was relieving to know that the tyrant was locked away where he couldn’t hurt anyone anymore.

“Kris!” Toriel shouted from downstairs, “Asriel and Miss Chara are here!” They sighed and texted Susie a quick apology and that they had to go. Susie sent the cursing emoji back and bluntly said that they had to try again tomorrow and she wasn’t taking no for an answer. Kris sent the laughing emoji back with a small grin on their own face, “Kris!” The human groaned and slipped off their bed leisurely and kicked their bag underneath it. The last thing they needed was Toriel seeing the Devilsknife and flipping out. They stuffed their hands in their pockets and shook their head to let their hair fall back in their stoic face and silently walked out of his room onto the stairs, “Kris my child, now is not the time to delay! Lunch will get cold!” Toriel sounded like she was beginning to lose patience with them, so they picked up the pace a little bit.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and peaked around the corner to see another human sitting at the table in their house. Kris jolted back slightly with shock. They hadn’t expected Chara to be human nor seen another human in a very long time. Truth be told, they weren’t sure how to act around them (they weren’t sure how to act around monsters all the time either). Chara had pale milky skin and wide ruby eyes, a lighter shade of red than their own. Her short light chestnut hair framed an expressive face which seemed to be caved of smooth alabaster marble, and was coated in a light dusting of rose quartz pink across her smooth cheeks. She had pale pink lips which were turned upward in a smile as she chatted with Toriel. Kris’s frown deepened when they realized they were wearing the nearly identical sweaters. Kris poked their own scowling face. She was very beautiful as far as humans go, but if she was beautiful on the inside too remained to be seen. Suddenly they turned back and ran up to their room. Toriel was occupied with her and Chara’s conversation, so hopefully they could slip back upstairs for a few moments. Kris wanted to look as inhuman as possible and make a point to Toriel about how angry they were that Asgore wasn’t being included, and they knew just the way to do that.

They pulled their backpack out from under their bed and quickly flung their sweater under there in its place, shivering slightly in just a heavy metal band t-shirt that Toriel certainly wouldn’t approve of for him to wear when company when present. Next, they reached into the land of dust bunnies beneath their bed and blindly patted around for their horn headband. The last time Kris had seen it was when Toriel and Asgore informed them that they were getting divorced. They angrily shoved it underneath their bed with a firm intention never to wear it again, but desperate times and measures and all that. But instead of gripping a headband, Kris grabbed a box of crayons and a crumpled up sheet of paper. Curiously, Kris put the dust covered box aside and smoothed out the paper. On it was an old drawing of Asriel’s. It was of him in his “God of hyperdeath form”. Kris ruefully traced the childish doodle and remembered when he drew it he was talking about star sabers and magic powers, and Kris had been paying rapt attention in awe of the magic powers he intended to one day possess. Oh stars, this must’ve been drawn at least eight years ago. What would Asriel say if Kris told him about his and Susie’s adventure in the magical card and board game version of Wonderland? How Kris and Susie started out as adversaries, but became something beyond friends and formed a deep connection that only a shared odyssey can form between people? How they freed a forgotten prisoner with knowledge and power beyond their comprehension after walking in the land where the stars don’t shine? And saved an entire land and a little boy from an evil king and protected the very balance of Light and Dark? He wouldn’t believe them, obviously, and even if he did, Kris wasn’t going to risk word getting out about the Darkners and their wonderland just yet.

Kris peaked back under the bed to see more sheets of paper. They reached under eagerly and pulled out a crude picture of their family. With a sharp breath in, Kris slouched in on themself and wiped their eyes blaming the dust for their tears. It wasn’t fair. None of it was. Not their parents divorce. Not whatever happened to Jevil. Not Lancer and Susie’s home lives. And definitely not being prevented from going back to the place they felt alive in for the longest time. After waiting this long… would they be able to return at all?

“Kris?” There was a timid knock on the door and it was pushed open by none other than Asriel, “Howdy!” He exclaimed, “I don’t mean to invade your privacy, but…” Kris wiped their face as fast as he could so Asriel wouldn’t see them cry, but it was in vain, “Kris…” he crouched down next to them and began rubbing their back with his large furry paws, “Did something happen?” Kris shook their head, “Oh…” Asriel picked up his old drawings, “Golly Kris, we were so little when webdrew these. I can’t believe you kept them,” Kris shrugged, “If it’s about mom and dad or Chara-“ Kris grunted and shook their head vehemently. It was about so much more than their parents and Asriel’s strange girlfriend, but they were certainly part of it and Asirel couldn’t do anything to fix it, “Whatever you say, Kris,” he sighed in disbelief, “We had a lot of fun with these,” Asriel lifted the box gingerly, “When’s the last time we colored with crayons?” Kris shrugged again and looked away from Asriel. They were both awkwardly silent for a bit, neither knowing what to say, but Asriel, as he so often did came to their rescue, “This is gonna sound cheesy, but maybe after lunch do you wanna redraw some of this stuff and see if I’ve improved at all?” He stuck his tongue out and winked in a slightly self deprecating manner, and Kris snickered, “Chara’s really good at drawing with pens and pencils, but I don’t think I’ve seen her use crayons,” Kris frowned raised an eyebrow, “Just give her a chance for me, and I promise before we leave I’ll get dad to come with you and me to QC’s Diner just like old times. Okay?”

“Okay…” Kris whispered in their raspy voice, and pulled their brother into a hug. Asriel laughed joyfully and hugged back. Kris buried his face into their older brother’s neck, and his pearly white fur rubbed his cheek, almost in a comforting manner. Kris couldn’t bring the past back, but maybe… like the crayons and Asriel’s old sketches they’d be able to redraw the past and turn it into a better looking future, and maybe one day they wouldn’t want to reset everything again. They’d gotten through their parent’s divorce and the Darkworld wasn’t under Spades’s tyrannical thumb any longer. Whatever came next, they could handle it, and they wouldn’t have to do it alone. Their friends and Asriel would make sure of that.

“Let’s get down before Chara can’t keep mom occupied any longer,” Asriel pulled away, and brushed a bit of hair out of Kris’s face exposing one of their garnet eyes, “I think you’ll like her. She may look innocent, but she’s got enough of a mischievous streak to rival you,”

“Is that a challenge?” Kris mockingly asked. Asriel grinned and handed the crayon box back to their waiting hands.

“Come on!” He stood up slowly and helped them up. Kris clutched the old box to their chest and followed Asriel down the stairs to see-


End file.
